Why Dean Must Die
by Sharptooth
Summary: AU. Starts during the last chapter of OotP. Harry searches his feelings and discovers that in order to have lasting happiness, Dean Thomas must die...


**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything other than the story line . All rights belong to J.K. Rowling

**Why Dean Must Die**

_"Well, I've chosen Dean Thomas, would you say he's better?" asked Ginny vaguely._

_"WHAT?" shouted Ron, upending the chessboard._

_*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, pg. 866*  
_

*0*0*

Harry felt decidedly uncomfortable, and he couldn't begin to say why. He just couldn't begin to place his finger on what had him feeling this way. He had seen Ron and Ginny fight before, and he had seen both of them really mad before, so it wasn't that.

No, it had to be something else. Could it have possibly been that Ron had made a not so subtle remark that he wished Harry would get together with his sister? No, that wasn't it. He knew Ron so well by now that he understood that the only person Ron would be comfortable with was Harry, even though that would be a stretch as well.

Was it Ginny's attitude towards her brother? No, that was a constant as well. Harry knew that they loved each other beyond anything that Harry could comprehend. Not that Harry had much experience in that area. He had absolutely no idea what it was like to have a sibling to love. His only family experiences came from the Dursleys, hardly a role model for love and affection.

So what was it that had him so uncomfortable. Harry started to reach down inside himself for answers. He sat stock still, just staring out the window without really seeing anything. He went down into his own psyche looking for a reason, delving deeper and deeper into his own scarred mind, trying to reach past the layers of hurt and turmoil that always seemed to be so prevalent these days. He searched for that elusive thing that would show him beyond a doubt what it was that had him mentally squirming.

When he at last found it, at first he didn't want to admit that it could be true, but eventually the truth of the matter won out. He was feeling jealous of Dean. He was jealous of his friend, for being the one that she had chosen. It was Dean that would know the joys of a relationship with Ginny and not him. While he was busy being honest with himself, he actually was hoping that she would still carry a torch for him alone, and that eventually he would feel capable of returning that love. Now, even that pipe dream was gone. Another of the great Harry Potter's dream shattered like so much glass.

Unbidden by him, a daydream started to form, one that he would have never thought himself capable of, but there it was, for him to see and experience.

_Harry was standing outside the castle, down by the lake, gazing out over the calm waters, when he was disturbed by the sound of a girl chuckling. He looked over to where the sound was coming from, and there was Ginny, walking hand in hand with Dean down the path towards the lake. _

_They spotted Harry, and Dean waved to him, a huge smile on his face. Of course he would be smiling, he was with her. The sum of all that was feminine and beautiful. Harry's face contorted with barely contained fury for just a moment, and then it was gone. He put on his best smile, and greeted them, asking how the day was going for them._

_After the small talk was made, Dean turned to face Ginny, grasping both of her hands. It looked like he was going to kiss her. It was more than Harry could stand. He looked out at the lake and crooked his finger, making the universal motion to summon someone to him. The lake started to roil and churn, and then a huge tentacle burst forth, moving rapidly towards Dean. _

_Harry nodded, and pointed at him with a smile. The tentacle silently wrapped around Dean, tightening rapidly and lifting him off the ground, his cries crushed out of him by the pressure being applied to his lungs. His eyes got huge as he was lashed around, and then he opened his mouth in terror as he was swung at great speed towards a huge rock sticking out of one end of the lake. With a sickening crunch he impacted with the rock, crushing his skull, and his life along with it. He was quickly hauled underneath the waves to become food for the giant squid._

_Harry turned and looked at Ginny, feeling very embarrassed that she had to witness that, but she was looking directly at him, a look of utmost love on her face. He quickly strode to her and grabbing her chin bent down to…_

"Hey Mate, you there?" Ron asked while shaking Harry's shoulder.

"What? Oh, yeah," Harry said sheepishly.

"We're at the station, Harry, it's time to leave," Hermione said to him. He shook his head to clear it, and gazed around. Ginny wasn't there, she had apparently already left. He let out a little sigh of frustration, and got up to collect his things.

(Three weeks later)

Harry sat in his room at Number Four Privet Drive, hoping that maybe today he would finally hear from his friends. He really didn't know how much more of this isolation he could take. He found himself always thinking of one of two things. He was either thinking of Sirius, or he was thinking of Ginny. It seemed that not a day went by that he didn't cry over one or the other. He was always losing the people he loved. It was almost enough to make him vow to never love again. Why go through this when he could just harden his heart and be done with it.

The only thing that kept him from doing so was the knowledge that that was exactly what Voldemort had done. He had never allowed himself to love or be loved. Harry abjectly refused to allow himself to be like Snake-Eyes. If he did, then he would be lost, just as Voldemort was all those years ago.

So he suffered in silence. He wept silent tears over having caused Sirius's death, and he wept silent tears over having lost the only girl that might have known him well enough to bring him happiness.

While he was brooding, a tiny brown owl came whizzing in through his window, to zip back and forth about the room. Using his incredible reflexes, enhanced by years of Quidditch, he snatched the owl out of the air. Pig simply hooted happily at him. Harry pulled off the note that was attached to his leg, and promptly stuffed one of the smaller owl treats into his mouth. Pig flew over to Hedwig's cage and helped himself to a drink, much to the dismay of the larger owl, who hooted indignantly.

He unwrapped the note and read it quickly, anxious for whatever news he could get.

_Harry,_

_This is just a note to let you know that things are going well here at the Burrow. We've missed you of course, but hopefully we'll be able to get you out of there soon. Dumbledore says that the arrangements are almost complete, so hang on._

_Things here are pretty normal, but we had a visit from Dean the other day. He and Ginny spent the day fawning over each other, and making a big show of things when they thought anyone was watching. One thing I've learned living with the twins all these years, though, is how to be quiet when I need to. I snuck out and found them having a picnic._

_Get a load of this, Harry. He kept trying to kiss her, and she wouldn't let him near her. She just kept pushing him away, saying she couldn't do it. Sounds like trouble in paradise if you asked me. He's a big git anyway._

_Well, I've got to go, as if I make this letter any bigger, Pig won't be able to carry it._

_Ron_

Harry couldn't really see anymore, his vision was clouded with red. He steamed for a while, and then laid back on his bed.

_Harry crept up by them, keeping to the trees to mask his presence. He made his way stealthily until he could see them, sitting there under a large oak tree. _

_Dean was looking at Ginny, and he reached for her. She started to shy away, so he became more aggressive. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her to him. She screeched in pain, but he ignored her. He kissed her hard then, and she fought to get away, but he wouldn't let her move. He reached for her then, pawing his way up her body._

_Harry saw red, and reached for his wand. "Rictorsempra!" he hissed. Dean started to laugh uncontrollably as the hex hit him. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his sides. Harry pointed his wand at Ginny. "Expelliarmus!" She was thrown backwards from the force of the spell, and he then turned the wand on the tree. "Reducto!" With a loud crack the tree trunk splintered, causing the tree to come crashing down, directly on the curled up frame of Dean Thomas._

"BOY!!!!" The scream came up the stairs, obviously from Uncle Vernon, rousing Harry from his reverie. "Get down here and do your chores!"

Harry sighed once again, and left to take care of the mountain of work that the Dursleys obviously had in store for him.

(July Thirty First)

Harry woke to a gentle shaking. He looked up to see the last person he ever expected to see on this day. There, shaking him gently, with a small smile on her face, was none other than Ginny Weasley.

He sat up quickly, fumbling on the nightstand for his glasses. He put them on, and looked at her, not really believing his eyes.

"What? What are you doing here Ginny?" he asked in wonder and confusion.

"Happy birthday, Harry," she whispered, placing a small kiss on his cheek.

Harry blushed furiously, but tried his best to recover. "What was that for?"

"Can't a friend give a friend a birthday kiss anymore?" she whispered, blushing as well. For some reason Harry found it fetching.

"Sure Ginny, but what about Dean? He wouldn't like it if he knew."

Her face turned sour. She looked at Harry as if gauging whether or not to tell him something. Finally, she seemed to make up her mind. "I dumped him, Harry. He was too pushy, and I realized that I didn't really have any feelings for him."

Harry sat up on his elbows and looked at her, really looking at her for the first time in a long time. She held his gaze, looking back at him. He was surprised to see the warmth and affection evident in her face. "I thought you were over me," he whispered, barely daring to say it.

"I tried Harry, I really did, I'm sorry," she replied in the same tone.

"Don't be," he whispered, "I'm not."

Her expression was priceless. A mixture of shock and wonderment, surprise and relief, fear and love, it spoke volumes of what she actually felt. He watched the emotions flow over her face, and smiled.

"He hurt you this summer, didn't he?" It wasn't a question. She looked at him and nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "I'd never hurt you like that," he whispered.

She looked at him with a puzzled expression for a moment, then her eyes got wide. "Harry, what did you say?"

"I said," he started, finding his voice again, "that I'd never treat you like that if you were my girlfriend."

"Don't tease me, Harry, I just opened my heart to you. I can't believe I was that stupid…"

Harry shut her up by pulling her down into a kiss. She went taught at first, but then relaxed, slowly melting into his embrace. The kiss lasted for several minutes before there was a light tap at the door, and Remus Lupin's voice came through "Harry? We've got to go. Better get ready, have Ginny help you."

"Erm, alright Professor, we'll be right along."

Lupin laughed outside the door. "I'm not your professor anymore Harry, you'll have to get used to calling me something else. I'll be waiting downstairs, but I don't think your aunt and uncle are very comfortable with me here." They could hear him going down the stairs.

Harry laughed and looked at Ginny. She laughed back and explained that Ron was busy 'entertaining' Hermione, so she had volunteered to come with Lupin to get him. Lupin had seemed happy to have her along, so they came straight over.

Harry looked at her, wondering not for the first time why it had taken him so long to admit that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. That she had even been dating other boys hurt so much that he had to shut it out.

"So," he said. "Does this mean that you'd like to be my girlfriend?"

"What do you think, silly?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him soundly.

(The car ride)

Harry found his mind wandering as they rode the car to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. He was still reeling from the events of the morning. He had turned sixteen, and then found out that the girl of his dreams had dumped her boyfriend so that she could be with him.

This however turned his thoughts in a somewhat darker direction. Dean Thomas had hurt Ginny. He had made her upset, and hurt her. Harry would make him pay for that. He wasn't sure how, or when, but he would make him pay for the pain he had made Ginny suffer.

With that thought in mind, he laid his head back, resting it on Ginny's forehead as she slept next to him. Funny thing how riding in a car could make one sleepy. He noticed that his own eyelids were drooping as well, and settled back to enjoy the sensation.

"_Hi Harry," Dean said as they met at King's Cross Station. _

"_Hello Dean," said Harry with a sly grin, "fancy meeting you here, could I have a word with you in private?" He walked over behind a barrier, and as he did so, he quickly reached down and into his pants to bring out what he had brought with him for just this purpose._

"_What did you wa…" Dean started, his eyes going wide with pain and shock as Harry slid the twelve inch dagger between his ribs while clamping a hand over his mouth. His eyes quickly faded as the life drained out of him. _

"_That was for Ginny," he whispered evilly as he watched Dean slide out of his grasp. He walked away whistling a happy tune, tossing the dagger down onto the tracks where the train would take care of it._

(One month later)

Harry was deliriously happy for the first time in his life. He had the one thing that he had been missing for all those years. He had the love of a good woman, and was able to return it in spades.

He had even been able, with Ginny's help, to let go of the negative feelings he had towards Dean, coming with time to realize that he had won, he had the girl, and Dean didn't. He couldn't really blame Dean for having wanted to be with her, and everything had worked out in the end.

He thought back on a song that Ginny had introduced him to: Time of Your Life, by a Muggle band called Greenday. Yes, that song said it so well,

_Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road.  
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.  
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why.  
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time._

_It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life._

It was true, it was the time of his life, and he never would have predicted it. He was thinking of this when they all arrived at King's Cross Station.

Ironically, who should be the first person that they should see, but Dean Thomas. He looked at Harry, walking hand in hand with Ginny, and smiled. He walked over to them. "Hi Harry, Ginny. I just wanted to tell you I'm happy for the two of you, really."

"Thank you Dean," Harry said, "funny thing, but I've been thinking about you, all summer."

"Good things, I hope," said Dean with a smile.

"Oh yes, very good things…" said Harry with a sly grin. "Very good things indeed." With a laugh, he and Ginny went off to find a seat on the train.

It seemed that Dean Thomas didn't have to die after all...

**Author's Note: **Hope you liked it. Just a little one shot that I found on my computer, and I enjoyed it so I thought I'd share it.


End file.
